Zuni, NM Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Zuni's primary NOAA station, ZUNI.
The climate verdict for Zuni
Dryness leads the climate profile for Zuni, New Mexico, with 11.2 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 51°F. At 54/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 31% of scores.
- 51°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 54/100
- comfort score, above 31% of station-mapped location scores
- 11.2"
- annual precipitation · 10" snow
- 126 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Zuni: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00093044 · Zuni, NM 51°F mean · 11.2" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 51°F
- RANK-MID #3,156
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Webster Springs
- PRCP-ARID 11.2"
- SWING-MID 40°F
- COMF-LOW 54/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,527 HDD
- STN-1 USW00093044
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Webster Springs, WV (+ 0.1 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every NM station list.
- Zuni (this station) 51°F
- Cold Grand Canyon Vi…, AZ 51°F
- Hot Estancia, NM 51°F
- Near Webster Springs, WV 51°F
- Near Newport State, RI 51°F
Climate Living Index · Zuni
Zuni: 26/100 · grade F
Zuni publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Zuni, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 54/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 10.0 inches/year | 63/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 51.2°F · 16.3° from 67.5°F | 46/100 · D |
| Precipitation balance | 11.2 in · 23.8 from 35 in | 16/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 126 days/year | 10/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 223 calendar days | 4/100 · F |
Zuni · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Zuni's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 72.1°F
- Coldest month
- 32.5°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Zuni sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Zuni's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 46th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 91%
- Zuni's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 34th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Zuni compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Zuni's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
54 31st percentile score exceeds 31% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Zuni's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 41 complete annual observations from 1951 to 2023, ZUNI warmed at a fitted rate of 0.19°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Zuni primary station fitted change +0.19 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F (9°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 0.9" | 2.8" | 30.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 53°F (12°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 0.8" | 1.7" | 26.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 61°F (16°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 0.8" | 0.9" | 28.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 68°F (20°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 0.5" | 0.3" | 23.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 77°F (25°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 0.7" | 0.1" | 9.8 | 1.3 |
| June | 88°F (31°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1.6 | 15.4 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 1.7" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 20.8 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 2.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 13.9 |
| September | 82°F (28°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2.2 | 2.9 |
| October | 71°F (22°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 1.0" | 0.1" | 15.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 59°F (15°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 0.7" | 0.7" | 27.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 49°F (9°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 0.9" | 3.4" | 30.4 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Zuni works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 91°F by July 3 and hold at or above 90°F on 29 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 194 dates, bottoming at 16°F around December 23.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 23 through July 21, covering 29 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 25 to October 18.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 29, then returns to freezing around October 19, covering 194 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is July 26, when 24% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 4 at 6%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 47 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 11 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 44°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Zuni.
Where Zuni Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 11 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Day-to-night contrast is extreme by national standards — the widest normal daily swing reaches about 44°F, sharper than nine in ten ranked stations see.
Zuni earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 2.8"
4.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.7"
3.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.9"
3.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
2.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
2.6 days with precipitation
1.7 days with precipitation
7.0 days with precipitation
6.5 days with precipitation
3.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
3.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
2.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.4"
3.6 days with precipitation
Zuni runs a summer-peaked wet season
37% of Zuni's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is August at 2.0", on a 39.6°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: August, July, October, taking 42% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: June at 0.4".
- Winter share: 24% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
How Zuni's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 46 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 11.2" between them, or roughly 0.24 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Snow reaches Zuni, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 10.0 inches of snow a year here, most likely in December. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 5 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 2
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 29
50% probability date
Growing Season
126 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,527
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
540
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NM closest to Zuni on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (51°F here).
- Bellingham, WA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Bloomfield, IA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Burlington, IA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Chicago, IL 51°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (11.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Baggs, WY 11.2" · 0.0" off
- Dinosaur, CO 11.2" · 0.0" off
- Klamath Falls, OR 11.1" · 0.0" off
- Madras, OR 11.2" · 0.0" off
Scarce-water calendar
Where Zuni's limited precipitation lands
heating led · dry · mid swing
Zuni's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,527 annual heating degree days against 540 for cooling. Its 39.6°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 126 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
July and December mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Zuni's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 39.6°F. The annual average is 51°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Zuni's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 11.2 inches, which places the station in PlainClimate's dry range. Annual snowfall totals 10.0 inches. The snowfall and rainfall fields should be read separately rather than inferred from temperature.
Zuni wettest normal
August
August concentrates the scarce annual total (11.2 inches).
Zuni driest normal
June
June is typically driest; arid stations are defined by when water is absent, not by a four-season grid.
Questions about Zuni's climate
How dry is Zuni? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Zuni get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Zuni? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Zuni's primary station: ZUNI (USW00093044). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Zuni; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Zuni comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.